


Blood and Petals

by wilddragonflying



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Hanahaki, Angst, Hanahaki Disease, Identity Issues, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pining
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-21
Updated: 2019-04-20
Packaged: 2020-01-23 03:34:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 662
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18541438
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wilddragonflying/pseuds/wilddragonflying
Summary: Connor has tracked more than one deviant in hiding by the thirium-stained petals it left behind.When the first warning flashed on his HUD, he was left stunned. 
It was during the car ride back to the precinct after chasing Rupert across the rooftop farms of UFD, after saving Hank and hearing Hank’s gratitude in his gruff dismissal.Warning: Obstruction Detected.





	Blood and Petals

Hanahaki disease has been a recorded phenomenon in human history for as long as human history has been recorded in any manner. Despite this, the specifics of this disease continue to elude scientists, leaving it incurable by medicine, and no one knew how it worked  _ exactly _ .

The afflicted fell in love, and began coughing up petals of varying flowers - it appeared to vary from person to person, the type of flower that appeared in the afflicted’s respiratory tract. If left unacknowledged, the disease had an almost seventy percent fatality rate; the only known cure was for the afflicted’s feelings to be acknowledged by the recipient and accepted. Luckily,  _ reciprocation _ was not necessary for the cure.

Hanahaki was a once in a lifetime occurrence; this caused some to speculate that it was connected to the mythology of soulmates. 

It was this last that caused the greatest upset at CyberLife when the first android began exhibiting symptoms of Hanahaki. The android quickly was determined to be what would be called ‘deviant,’ and destroyed. 

Deviancy - and Hanahaki - continued to be a problem for CyberLife. There was no way to prevent either, not for certain, and not forever. 

Connor has tracked more than one deviant in hiding by the thirium-stained petals it left behind. 

When the first warning flashed on his HUD, he was left stunned. 

It was during the car ride back to the precinct after chasing Rupert across the rooftop farms of UFD, after saving Hank and hearing Hank’s gratitude in his gruff dismissal. 

**Warning: Obstruction Detected.**

Connor blinks, but the warning remains, and when he frowns, he realizes that he can feel something in his ‘throat.’ He flicks his gaze, pulling up the full warning text with a thought, scanning it quickly. His frown deepens as he reads.

**Warning: Obstruction Detected. Biocomponent #4876v compromised by foreign object. Recommend clearance and sterilization.**

_Foreign object?_ Connor swallows reflexively, whatever is in his throat catching on one of the ridges inside, and he consciously freezes the internal activity of that biocomponent for the moment. He will have to wait to examine it once he has some privacy; the obstruction is not a problem at the moment, no need to concern his partner with it.

He tells Hank that he is going to take a moment to make a report when they arrive at the precinct, and Hank just grunts at him before leaving the vehicle. Alone in the car, Connor de-activates the synthetic gag reflex, reversing the activity of the internal panels of his throat, and reaches into his mouth. 

He feels something smooth graze his fingertips, and he gently grabs it, pulling it out of his mouth so that he can scan it. 

**Software Instability ^**

A petal is pinched between his fingers, and Connor freezes. Everything within him seems to come to a screeching halt, though to an outsider all they would see is a sudden stillness and abruptly-red LED. After a moment, Connor makes himself analyze the petal, trying to determine if it might simply be something he picked up while running across the rooftops of Detroit.

_ Scientific Name: Alstroemeria, also known as Lily of the Incas. Native to South America, rare in the United States. Likelihood of incidental encounter: >5% _

Connor stares at the petal between his fingers, the traces of his thirium bright blue against the orange and red of the petal and the pale skin of his fingers. He didn’t inhale this while chasing Rupert, that much is clear - but the only other explanation is  _ impossible. _ He’s not a deviant - he’s not  _ alive. _

The petal doesn’t say anything - it can’t, that’s an absurd thought - but Connor can’t shake the sense of foreboding he feels when he looks at it.

He’s  _ not _ alive.

He’s  _ not _ alive, he can’t be, because if he is -

If he is, then so was every other deviant he ever chased.

So was every deviant he brought back to CyberLife, every deviant that is now deactivated and dismantled.


End file.
